Mixing and measuring machine.



H. R. EDGECOMB.

MIXING AND MEASURING MACHINE,

urucmou mm DEC. 4. m4

Patented Oct 2, 1917.

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HENRY It. EDGECOMB, 01" l/VL LFKEK SEUEG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQR T "WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFAQTURING CGIJIPANY, A CDRPORATION O]? PENN SYL- VAIN' 1A.

MIXINGr AND MEASUREZNG MACHINE.

Application filed i iecember t, 1914.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY R. Encncoiirs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in. Mining and Measuring Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mixing and measuring machines adapted to weigh out successive definite portions of mixed pulverulent 0r pasty material, and it has for its object to provide a machine of this character which shall be simple in construction and efiicient in operation, and which shall be provided with electrically operated devices'ror automatically controlling the feeding operation of the machine. i

The structural details or my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of' a mixing and measuring machine einbodying the principles ofmy invention, and Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the electric control circuit being also diagrammatically illustrated.

The machine shown in the drawings comprises a base 1 upon which is mounted a supporting frame consisting of uprights 2 and 3 which are joined by a beam 4. The uprights 2 and 3 support a mining hopper 5, a feeding hopper 6 and an ele tromagnetic clutch device 7, while the hase supports a weighing scale 8 adapted to receive material fed from the feeding hopper 6.

The mixing hopper is provided with oppositely-disposed sleeves 9 and 10 which serve to support the hopper 5 upon a shaft 11. The ends of the shaft 11 are supported in bearings 12 and 13 in brackets 14 and 15 that are secured, respectively, to the uprights 2 and 3. One end of the shaft ll. is provided with a driving pulley 1T and to the part of the shaft within the hopper are secured a number of mining blades 18 and 19. which may be or any desired form. according to the nature of the material that is to be mixed. Secured-to one side of the hopper 5, near its upper edge, is an l.-shaped member 20 having an outwardly extending v arm 21 which rests adjacent to the upright 2 when the hopper 5 is in the position shown in the drawing. A pivoted member 22 is Specification of Letters Patent.

- supported upon a or,

- Patented Get. 2, 191%.

Serial lie. Eli 5,443.

adapted to be passed over the arm 21 in order to maintain the hopper 5 in the posi tion shown. By moving aside the pivoted member 22, the hopper may be relmsed and swung downward, in order to deposit nixed material in the feeding hopper 6.

he feeding hopper 6 is provided. with outwardly-extending brackets and 24:, which are secured, respectively, to the uprights 2 and 3. Disposed near the bottom of the hopper 6 is a feed screw 25 which is attached to the inner end of a short shaft 26, to which is secured, outside o'r' the hop per 6, a flanged collar 27. A plate 28 is movably secured to the flanged collar 27- by means of bolts 29, helical springs 30 being interposed between the plate 28 and nuts 31 that surround the bolts 29. The plate 28 thus held yieldingly against the flanged collar 27 and forms the movable driven member or" the electromagnetic clutch 7 which controls the operationof the feed screw 25. The driving portion 28 of the clutch 7, which may be of any well known construction, is secured to a short shaft 32 and comprises a pulley 33 by means of which power may be applied from any convenient source to produce continuous rotation. A bracket 34: provides a bearing for a shaft 32 and is secured to the upright 3. The shaft 32 carries a sleeve 35 of insulating material provided with slip rings 36 and 37, which are connected to the winding of the electromagnetic clutch am engaged b y hrushes 38 and 39, respec the brushes heing et 0, secure-.1 to the uprlght 3.

The scale 8 struction. For it is shown as comp. port 421 secured to the a scale beam 4.2 pro at one end and v e near the other end. is disposed immediately bni s c outer end of the feed screw Secured beneath the scale beam 4-2, on the side of the knife edge 41 opposite to the scale pan d3, is a pair of electric contacts 45 an t: that are adapted to enter respective cups 21d 48 which may contain mercury or 0t." iquid conducting material. The mere he cup 47 is electrically connected, is of a conductor 49, to the brush he mercury in the any desired cone or illustration,

re-edge supid supporting i a scale pan 43 nan 43 support 44: I

' 4:7 and 3:8.

cup is connected to one terminal of a priniary battery 50, the opposite terminal of which is connected to the brush 39 by means of a conductor 51 in which is interposed a switch in operation of my device, the material to be mixed and weighed is first deposited in the hopper 5 and power is applied through the pulley 17 to rotate the shaft 11 and thereby to cause the blades 18 and 19 to thoroughly mix the material in the hopper. When this is accomplished, or when it is desired to replenish the said hopper 6, the member 22 is pushed aside, and the hop per 5 is rotated and its contents emptied into the hopper o. l Vhen it is desired to begin weighing out successive portions of the mixed material, power is applied to the pulley 3-3, and the switch 52 is closed, the scale 8 being in the position shown in Fig. 2., in which the contact members 4-5 and 26 are immersed in the mercury in the cups 47 and &8. The electric circuit is completed from the battery 50 through the conductor 51, brush 89, slip ring 37, the winding of the electromagnetic clutch 7, slip ring 86, conductor 29, and contact members 45 and db, and causes the plate 28 to be attracted magnetically against the pressure of the springs 30. The parts of the clutch 7 being thus held in contact, the screw 25 is caused to rotate in the proper direction to feed the material to be weighed into the scale pan l i hen the selected weight of material has been fed into the pan 4&3, the scale beam 4C2 will be rotated upon the knife edge ii, and the contact members and 46 thereby removed from the mercur contact members The electric circuit being breach, the parts the magnetic clutch will be separated by means of the springs 30, and the rotation of screw will instantly stop. The operator may then to, or take from, the load in the scale pan 43 a small quantity of meter in order to obtain an exact balance, the switch 52 being opened during such adjustment of the load. The scale pan is then emptied and replaced in position,

and the switch 52 is again closed in order to start the next weighing operation. If the fine adjustment of the weight of each portion of material is not necessary, the pan 4% may be removed and emptied without opening the switch 52, the beam 42 being held down until the empty pan is replaced, when it is allowed to return the horizontal position, which automatically starts the next weighing operation.

tine particularly advantageous application of my machine is the mixing and Weighing of moist materials which are used in making molded articles. By its use, the

several ingredients of the molding mixtures may be intimately mixed in relatlvely small batches and weighed out While freshly mixed and as rapidly as the successive portions can be handled by the molder. It is also adapt- ..ed for use by the molder himself, a charge being automatically weighed out while the previous charge is being molded.

The amountthat is automatically weighed out may be varied by merely changing the weight upon the pan 4%, and it is not necessary to make time-consuming adjustments in the operating parts of the machine, such as are necessary in ordinary commercial weighing machines.

The embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing and described above may be readily varied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I therefore wish it to be understood that my invention is not restricted to these structural details but is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mixing and weighing machine comprising a feeding device including a feed screw, a weighing scale adapted to receive material from the said feeding device, an electromagnetic clutch adapted to drive the said feed screw, and a circuit adapted to be controlled by the movement of the said weighing scale for energizing the said electromagnetic clutch.

2. A mixing and weighing machine comprising a feeding device including a feed screw, a weighing scale adapted to receive material from the said feeding device, an electromagnetic clutch adapted to drive the said feed screw, and a circuit adapted to be controlled by the movement of the said weighing scale for energizing the said electromagnetic clutch, he said circuit includ ing a primary battery, a shaft secured to the driving portion of the said clutch, slip rings disposed on the said shaft and electrically connected to the winding of the said clutch, brushes engaging the said slip rings, spaced mercury contact members, and other contact members secured to the said scale and adapted to cooperate with the said first-named contact members.

3.-A mixing and weighing machine comprising a pivoted mixing hopper, a set of mixing blades disposed therein, a feeding hopper disposed below the said mixing hopper and adapted to receive material therefrom. a weighing scale disposed below the said feeding hopper and a feeding screw adapted to deliver material from the feeding hopper to the said scale.

l. A mixing and weighing machine comprising a mixing hopper, a mixing device disposed therein, a feeding hopper adapted to receive material from the said mixing hopper, a feeding screw disposed in the said feeding hopper. a weighing scale adapted to receive material from the said feeding hopper, and electrically actuated means for com trolling the operation of the said feeding screw in accordance with the amount of material delivered to the said scale.

5. A mixing and weighing machine comprising a feeding device including a feed screw, a weighing scale adapted to receive material from the said feeding device, an electromagnetic clutch adapted, when electrically energized, to drive the feed screw, and a circuit for energizing the said electromagnetic clutch and including contact members associated with the said weighing scale and adapted to close the said circuit while the said scale is in position to receive material from the said feeding device and *to open the said circuit when a predetermined amount of material has been deposited upon the said scale.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th day of Nov, 20

HENRY R. EDGEOOMB.

Witnesses:

GoLDIE E. McGEE, B. B. HINES. 

